Ablation systems and methods for treating presbyopia

Abstract

According to certain embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical system for treating presbyopia comprises controllable components and a computer. The controllable components comprise a light source that generates a light beam and a scanner that directs a focal point of the light beam. The computer determines an ablation profile to remove tissue from a central region and a peripheral region of a cornea of a first eye of a pair of eyes. The ablation profile is designed to remove tissue from the central region to yield a protrusion to provide for near-vision, and to remove tissue from the peripheral region to correct to emmetropia.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. An ophthalmic surgical system for treating presbyopia, comprising:
 a plurality of controllable components comprising:
 a light source configured to generate a light beam; and 
 a scanner configured to direct a focal point of the light beam; 
 
 a computer configured to:
 determine an ablation profile to remove tissue from a central region and a peripheral region of a cornea of a first eye of a pair of eyes, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the central region to yield a protrusion to provide for near-vision, the protrusion of the central region of the cornea having a diameter of 0.5 to 4 millimeters and a height of 3 to 50 micrometers, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the peripheral region to correct to emmetropia; 
 instruct one or more of the controllable components to ablate the cornea of the first eye according to the ablation profile; 
 determine a second ablation profile designed to correct a second eye of the pair of eyes to emmetropia; and 
 instruct one or more of the controllable components to ablate a second central region and a second peripheral region of the cornea of the second eye according to the second ablation profile to correct the second eye to emmetropia. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is spherical. 
     
     
       3. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , the protrusion has a height of 20 to 40 micrometers. 
     
     
       4. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , the computer configured to determine the ablation profile to remove tissue from the central region and the peripheral region of the cornea of the first eye of the pair of eyes by:
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat myopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an inner portion of the peripheral region than at an outer portion of the peripheral region. 
 
     
     
       5. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , the computer configured to determine the ablation profile to remove tissue from the central region and the peripheral region of the cornea of the first eye of the pair of eyes by:
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat hyperopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an outer portion of the peripheral region than at an inner portion of the peripheral region. 
 
     
     
       6. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first eye of the pair of eyes is non-dominant; and 
 the second eye of the pair of eyes is dominant. 
 
     
     
       7. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , the computer further configured to:
 generate a focal spot pattern corresponding to the ablation profile; and 
 align the focal spot pattern relative to a visual axis to ablate the cornea. 
 
     
     
       8. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , the computer further configured to:
 generate a focal spot pattern corresponding to the ablation profile, a point of the focal spot pattern designated to be aligned with a visual axis of the eye; 
 determine the visual axis of the eye; and 
 align the point of the focal spot pattern relative to the visual axis to ablate the cornea. 
 
     
     
       9. A method for treating presbyopia, comprising:
 generating, by a light source of a plurality of controllable components, a light beam; 
 directing, by a scanner of the plurality of controllable components, a focal point of the light beam; 
 determining, by a computer, an ablation profile to remove tissue from a central region and a peripheral region of a cornea of a first eye of a pair of eyes, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the central region to yield a protrusion to provide for near-vision, the protrusion of the central region of the cornea having a diameter of 0.5 to 4 millimeters and a height of 3 to 50 micrometers, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the peripheral region to correct to emmetropia; 
 instructing, by the computer, one or more of the controllable components to ablate the cornea of the first eye according to the ablation profile; 
 determining, by the computer, a second ablation profile designed to correct a second eye of the pair of eyes to emmetropia; and 
 instructing, by the computer, one or more of the controllable components to ablate a second central region and a second peripheral region of the cornea of the second eye according to the second ablation profile to correct the second eye to emmetropia. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion is spherical. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , the determining, by the computer, the ablation profile to remove tissue from the central region and the peripheral region of the cornea of the first eye of the pair of eyes comprises:
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat myopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an inner portion of the peripheral region than at an outer portion of the peripheral region. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , the determining, by the computer, the ablation profile to remove tissue from the central region and the peripheral region of the cornea of the first eye of the pair of eyes comprises:
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat hyperopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an outer portion of the peripheral region than at an inner portion of the peripheral region. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first eye of the pair of eyes is non-dominant; and 
 the second eye of the pair of eyes is dominant. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 generating, by the computer, a focal spot pattern corresponding to the ablation profile; and 
 aligning, by the computer, the focal spot pattern relative to a visual axis to ablate the cornea. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 generating, by the computer, a focal spot pattern corresponding to the ablation profile, a point of the focal spot pattern designated to be aligned with a visual axis of the eye; 
 determining, by the computer, the visual axis of the eye; and 
 aligning, by the computer, the point of the focal spot pattern relative to the visual axis to ablate the cornea. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion has a height of 30 to 50 micrometers. 
     
     
       17. An ophthalmic surgical system for treating presbyopia, comprising:
 a plurality of controllable components comprising:
 a light source configured to generate a light beam; and 
 a scanner configured to direct a focal point of the light beam; 
 
 a computer configured to:
 determine an ablation profile to remove tissue from a central region and a peripheral region of a cornea of a first eye of a pair of eyes, the first eye of the pair of eyes is non-dominant, a second eye of the pair of eyes is dominant, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the central region to yield a protrusion to provide for near-vision, the protrusion of the central region of the cornea being spherical with a diameter of 0.5 to 4 millimeters and with a height of 30 to 50 micrometers, the ablation profile designed to remove tissue from the peripheral region to correct to emmetropia, the computer determining the ablation profile by:
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat myopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an inner portion of the peripheral region than at an outer portion of the peripheral region; or 
 determining the ablation profile is designed to treat hyperopia, the ablation profile removing a thicker portion of the cornea at an outer portion of the peripheral region than at an inner portion of the peripheral region; 
 
 generate a focal spot pattern corresponding to the ablation profile, a point of the focal spot pattern designated to be aligned with a visual axis of the eye; 
 determine the visual axis of the eye; 
 align the point of the focal spot pattern relative to the visual axis to ablate the cornea; 
 instruct one or more of the controllable components to ablate the cornea of the first eye according to the ablation profile; 
 determine a second ablation profile designed to correct the second eye to emmetropia; and 
 instruct one or more of the controllable components to ablate a second central region and a second peripheral region of the cornea of the second eye according to the second ablation profile to correct the second eye to emmetropia. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The ophthalmic surgical system of  claim 1 , wherein the protrusion has a height of 30 to 50 micrometers.